Newsletter

We should judge to avoid sin

I want to commend Catholic guest columnist Paul Rosenthal for his informative column regarding the election (“Voting your faith in 2012: Social justice, abortion and apples,” Nov. 4), and about some who were rightfully described as “fake” Catholics. One cannot be pro-choice and Catholic.

Yet, many of us witnessed professed Catholic television pundits, during the election, who would perhaps fit into the category of “Catholics in Name Only.”

Joseph O’Connell asserted in his letter (“Writer should ‘judge not’,” Nov. 6) that Mr. Rosenthal was judging another’s soul. Instead, Mr. Rosenthal was rightfully judging another’s actions. Jesus, Himself, calls for this formal judgment on the part of the Church in Matthew 18:15-18.

We cannot judge a person’s state of soul, of course, or their thoughts or motives. Yet, we are to judge one’s actions. We are to make proper judgments to admonish a sinner to encourage him to repent. That is the goal: to save the sinner’s soul. We are to make judgments of behavior, attitudes, and ideas in order to protect our loved-ones and ourselves from danger. We are to avoid people who practice dangerous and sinful behaviors. We cannot avoid them until and unless a judgment has been made that such people are those who the Bible tells us to avoid.

The idea that we are not to judge is a doctrine of error. Satan loves for us to think that we are not to judge! Satan wants us to avoid making judgments. If he can convince us of this, sin can abound without criticism, and we could continue in our sin without accountability.

If Christians would like a glimpse of what it may be like after President Obama completes his assault on our religious liberties, I would encourage all to view the film/DVD For Greater Glory. This true story and inspirational movie depicts how the corrupt Mexican government, from 1926 to 1929, attempted to suppress the religious liberties of Catholics who resided there. The Cristeros family fought back against religious persecution in an uprising and counter-revolution for their love of Christ.